Fury
by 50of47
Summary: Early in its journey, Voyager receives a time traveler bent on revenge.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: The Startrek:Voyager universe: Paramount's. The J/C departures from canon: mine. Profit: I wish.

RATING: PG

SUMMARY: Early in its journey, _Voyager_ receives a time traveler bent on revenge.

NOTE: This reworking of "Fury" is part of J/C Fichaven's "_Voyager_ ReRight" project, where members of FicHaven choose a _Voyager_ episode and add in all the J/C that was missing during the show's seven-year run.

***

"Fury" has to stand alongside The Next Generation's "Dark Page" as one of the saddest episodes in all of Trek. The time travel/revenge story itself is actually an intriguing one, but the unexpected maliciousness that comes from a gentle character beloved by many is heartbreaking. Watch this episode only if you need a good cry.

The 2371 past in this time travel story is neatly bookended by the 2376 present at the beginning and end of the narrative. Since "Fury" takes place during Voyager's 6th season, I've used the name "Kes" by itself only when the events are taking place in the episode's 2376 present, and it refers only to the aged Kes who actually belongs in that time period. I have used "Future Kes" [older-2376] and "Past Kes" [younger-2371] to differentiate between the two temporal versions of the same character when recounting the events that occurred in the 2371 past, and "Past Kes" occasionally for clarity in the 2376 portion at the end of the story when referring to the holographic recording Past Kes made in 2371.

"Fury"

TEASER

The Present, 2376.

Ready Room

Kathryn Janeway stood at the window on the upper level of her Ready Room, looking out at the stars while she waited. When her door chimed, she called out, "Come in."

Chakotay entered and stood at the base of the stairs to the upper level. "You wished to see me?" he asked.

With her back still turned to him, Janeway rolled her eyes quickly as she suppressed her merriment at what she was about to do. She let a moment go by and then asked coldly, "We've known each other for… how long?"

"Approximately six years."

Janeway continued. "We've been a couple for the last three of those years. You've helped me explore my spirituality. You are the person I am closest to."

"And I feel the same way about you."

Janeway finally turned to him, and said in an accusatory tone, "I've always tried my best to be honest with you, but you've been keeping something from me."

Chakotay's brow furrowed in consternation. "I don't know what you mean," he said.

Janeway was implacable. "Don't you?" She moved to the replicator, enjoying the drama of the moment. She continued. "It took exhaustive research - sifting through teraquads of data, separating fact from rumor, but eventually, I arrived at the truth."

"Kathryn?"

Chakotay took several steps toward her, his anxiety level off the scale. He had no memory of any possible omission to which her accusation might refer.

Janeway stood glaring at him for several seconds more and then turned to enter a few commands into the replicator. A small cake with a single lit candle materialized. Picking it up, she turned back to face Chakotay with a wide grin on her face. "Happy birthday," Janeway said as she leaned over the railing to give him a kiss and hand him the cake.

Relief washed over Chakotay's face as he kissed her back and said, "Thank you."

Janeway teased, "So… it's not long before you hit the big five-oh."

"You got me pretty good," he said with a laugh. "I'll need to come up with an even better payback." He thought for a moment and then asked, "You haven't told the rest of the crew about your 'discovery,' have you?'"

"Don't worry, old man," she answered. "My lips are sealed."

Chakotay stood there, just eyeing the cake, which prompted Janeway to motion toward it and ask, "Well? You're supposed to blow out the candle."

He smirked and said, "Actually, that's not a custom among my people."

"Humor me," Janeway teased back.

Before Chakotay could say another word, Tuvok's voice broke in over the com and said, "Captain to the Bridge."

Janeway made a wry face at having had their personal moment interrupted, and started down the steps from the upper level of the Ready Room. Chakotay was still holding the cake as she walked past him. She turned and asked, "Well?"

He blew out the candle and set the cake down on Janeway's desk. With a sheepish grin, he said, "It was a fire hazard."

A brilliant smile lit up her face. They both laughed and left the Ready Room for the Bridge.

***

"Report!" Janeway called out as she and Chakotay stepped up to the command deck from the Ready Room.

Kim answered. "We're receiving a distress call… a small vessel on an intercept course."

"Lifesigns?"

"One," Kim responded. He looked up from his console in surprise. "It's Ocampan."

Janeway acknowledged Kim, and then stepped forward, waiting.

"We're being hailed," reported Tuvok.

Janeway nodded and he activated the viewscreen. The weathered face of an elderly, haggard Ocampan woman appeared, barely recognizable as someone _Voyager's_ Captain and crew had once known.

"Kes?" Janeway asked, hardly believing her eyes.

Kes answered her in a ragged voice. "Captain Janeway, I need your help. Will you give me permission to come aboard?"

"Of course." Janeway's concern showed on her face. "What's happened?"

"Please. Let me come aboard," Kes answered, and then cut the link. Paris turned to Janeway, a question on his face.

"Prepare the docking port," Janeway quickly ordered. "Tell the Doctor to stand by." She stepped down to the helm to stand beside Paris.

Tuvok looked up from his console and said, "Her ship is accelerating - it's on a collision course!"

Janeway tried to com Kes. "Janeway to Kes - cut your engines. You're coming in too fast." There was no response.

"Five seconds to impact," Paris called out.

"Lock on a tractor beam," Chakotay ordered. "Evasive maneuvers."

He grabbed for a nearby railing as the deck underfoot jolted sharply when Kes' ship collided with the hull. _Voyager_ went to Red Alert.

"Hull breach on Deck Nine," Kim reported.

"Emergency forcefields!" ordered Janeway.

The Bridge crew held their collective breaths, wondering if Kes had been killed, until Kim said, "Captain - a transporter was activated just before impact." He checked his console again and said, "She's beamed aboard."

***

On Deck 11, Kes walked slowly down the corridor, intent on her destination, her face cold and angry as she used her psychokinetic abilities to cripple _Voyager's_ systems. Lights flickered as the bulkheads behind her rippled and distorted, blowing out in showers of sparks.

***


	2. Chapter 2

ACT 1

The Present, 2376:

Bridge

_Voyager_ continued to tremble amid the flashing lights and blaring alarms of Red Alert as the Bridge crew scrambled to determine what was happening.

Kim reported the information flowing to his console. "I'm reading bulkhead ruptures - Deck Eleven, Section Seventeen. He paused a moment, then added, "Eighteen, Nineteen…"

"Cause?" Chakotay asked.

"Unknown."

Tuvok continued to work his console. "I've located Kes." Janeway looked back at him. "She's moving through those sections," Tuvok reported. "She's giving off high levels of neurogenic energy."

Janeway raised her voice to engage the com. "Janeway to Kes." She waited a moment, and then said, "Kes, respond."

No answer. The ship trembled again.

"Hull breach, Section Twenty," said Kim.

"Forcefields!" Janeway crossed the command deck to stand in front of the tactical station as she ordered, "Security to Deck Eleven!"

***

Lights continued to flicker on Deck 11 as Kes moved down the corridor. Suddenly, a forcefield visibly snapped on several feet ahead of her. Kes stopped for a moment and concentrated her energies. Her facial expression hardened as she lowered her head and charged straight through the forcefield, its energy crackling around her. A nearby bulkhead exploded.

***

Back on the Bridge, the crew felt another tremble.

"Forcefields are not holding," said Kim.

Tuvok checked his console and reported, "She's approaching Main Engineering."

"Bridge to Engineering. Intruder Alert," Janeway called out as she walked over to stand beside Chakotay.

***

On Deck 11, Kes approached a junction just as two security guards armed with phaser rifles stepped out of the intersecting corridor. She kept walking as they continued toward her.

"Stop where you are!" one of the guards ordered.

Kes ignored him, and continued to advance. The guard took aim and fired twice. The blasts hit Kes and sent her staggering backward a few steps. She took a moment to recover, and then looked up at the guards, enraged. Her body stiffened as she used her mental powers to knock them back against the walls of the corridor from of which they had just come.

Kes staggered to the head of the junction and focused her mind. The security guards heard a high-pitched whine of energy and the sound of buckling metal, and began to fall back toward the turbolift. They jumped out of the way just as the bulkheads ruptured, sending flames and debris flying into the spot where they had been standing only moments before.

Kes gave them one last angry glare, and began moving again toward her destination.

***

In Engineering, Torres and Seven of Nine were arming themselves with hand phasers. The Engineering staff continued to work at their stations, but with weapons close at hand. The doors opened to reveal a haggard old woman who then took several steps into the room. Torres was startled to see her, but stood next to Seven as the former drone took aim.

Torres motioned for Seven to hold her fire. She could hardly believe her eyes as she asked "Kes?"

Kes hesitated momentarily at the sight of Torres, but then took a step toward the warp core.

"State your intentions," Seven demanded, as she tensed, ready to fire.

Kes eyed both women with contempt, and focused her attention on them. A telepathic distortion rippled the air between Torres and Seven, stunning and knocking them in opposite directions from where they had been standing, into the consoles that lined the walls. Their weapons dropped from their hands.

"Evacuate Engineering," Torres shouted.

Kes strode through the space between the fallen women, toward the warp core. She slipped under the railing, and put her hands directly onto the core itself. She closed her eyes and concentrated.

Torres and Seven recovered their weapons and came together to observe Kes from a safe distance, trying to determine what she was doing. As they watched, the warp core began to pulse more rapidly. Engineering echoed with the sounds of a power surge as tendrils of antimatter energy began to crackle around Kes, their blue light reflected on her face and body.

***

_Voyager_ began to tremble continuously. A low roar could clearly be heard on the Bridge as Paris read his console's display and called out, "Warp power's fluctuating." Torres' voice broke in over the com.

"Torres to Bridge!"

***

The shaking and roaring were worse in Engineering. Torres and Seven of Nine were working several feet apart at separate consoles on the railing surrounding the core, attempting to gain control over whatever it was that Kes was doing. Torres reported to the Bridge, "Kes is in direct contact with the warp core. She's drawing power from it somehow."

"Shut it down!" Janeway ordered over the com.

The ship gave several ominous jolts as consoles and panels began to blow out all over the department. Torres moved to another station and began hurriedly inputting commands for the warp core shutdown sequence.

Kes still clutched the warp core, which was now glowing and pulsating rapidly. The antimatter energy tendrils surrounding her had grown into a virtual forest. Kes glanced over her shoulder and focused her attention intently on Torres. The Chief Engineer cried out and reeled backward as her body was pierced clean through by a crackling tendril. She fell to the deck, plasma burns on her chest and back.

Seven rushed to Torres' aid, and knelt down to feel for her pulse. A flash of light from the core drew Seven's attention, and she looked up in time to see Kes' form completely bathed in blue light from the core. Kes began to glow as Seven watched, and then vanished into a rippling spatial distortion.

***

On the Bridge, the crew could feel the trembling subsiding. Paris checked his console and said, "Warp power's returning to normal."

"B'Elanna, report," Chakotay called out over the com.

The Bridge crew was startled to hear Seven's voice answer him. "Lieutenant Torres is dead."

Tom's head came up, startled. Janeway turned to look at Chakotay, whose shocked face reflected his pain at hearing Seven's words.

"Kes has vanished," said Seven.

All eyes turned to Tom Paris, who sat staring at the viewscreen, stunned and silent.

***

The Past, 2371.

Engineering

Five and a half years into the past, the air near the warp core rippled momentarily as Future Kes materialized. She took a moment to get her bearings, and then morphed her aged form into that of the young Kes from the early days when Voyager had first been stranded in the Delta Quadrant.

Future Kes heard voices talking behind her. She quickly stepped away from the warp core and ducked under the railing surrounding it.

"Send Mulcahy. He's in Deflector Control."

Torres approached the core, accompanied by one of her staff, to whom she was giving orders. "We'll need more power to Junction Twelve-J, and tell Harry I want to talk to him about building a new energy grid."

The staff member moved off. Torres spotted Future Kes near the core and walked over to her.

"Lost?"

Future Kes hesitated, and then quickly adjusted her manner to match that of her gentler, younger self.

"No, just looking," Future Kes answered. "The Captain suggested I get more familiar with the ship."

"Well, if you have any questions, let me know," said Torres, turning to a console and beginning to work.

Future Kes thanked her and started quickly for the door, eager to get out of Engineering. Torres had a thought and looked up.

"We're about to run a diagnostic on the warp core assembly," she called after Future Kes. "You're welcome to watch."

Future Kes managed a smile and said, "Thanks, but I really should be getting back to Sickbay." Torres nodded, and Future Kes quickly left the department.

Once in the corridor, Future Kes' smile faded rapidly as she started down the hall on the way to the turbolift and Sickbay. Several crewmembers passed her, and nodded hello. Future Kes nodded back, doing her best to appear casual and relaxed. She waited until there was no one within earshot and then stopped walking.

"Computer – how long has _Voyager_ been in the Delta Quadrant?"

The computer responded, "Fifty-six days, seventeen hours."

A look of satisfaction crossed Future Kes' face, and she resumed her walk to the turbolift.

***

Future Kes entered Sickbay and found a tray containing medical instruments. She picked up a hypospray, inspected it, and began to sort through cartridges of medication.

"Back so soon?"

Future Kes jumped when she heard the Doctor come up behind her from his office. She concealed the hypospray behind her back as she turned to speak to the EMH.

"I thought you went to the Airponics Bay to collect herbs," said the Doctor.

"I forgot something."

The Doctor started to return to his office. Kes quickly turned to the tray of medication and loaded the hypospray. She didn't see the Doctor change his mind and approach her again to continue the conversation.

"Pyong Ko."

"Excuse me?" Kes turned back to the Doctor, once again concealing the hypospray behind her back.

The Doctor reminded her, "You encouraged me to choose a name. Remember?"

Future Kes stared at him. It had been years since she had talked to the Doctor about this subject. She scrambled mentally to remember the old conversation, and then remembered she had returned to a point in time when the Doctor's program had yet to adapt and develop any great degree of sensitivity to others. He was still largely operating on subroutines that reflected his programmer's self-absorption.

The Doctor continued. "Pyong Ko was a twenty-first century surgeon who discovered the genetic sequence for inhibiting cancer cells. It heralded a new chapter in Earth's medical history."

"That's a perfect name, Doctor," she responded.

Future Kes hoped that the flat, disinterested tone of her voice would discourage further conversation, but instead, her words triggered a subroutine that prompted him to continue.

"Then again, I'm also considering Schweitzer… Jarvik… Pasteur," he said, ticking off the names on his fingers. "There are so many options, each with its own merits."

With an effort, Future Kes concealed her impatience to leave and said, "Why don't you give it some more thought? You don't have to decide right away."

She started to edge toward the door, but the Doctor barely noticed, caught up as he was in his own rambling monologue. He turned in mid-pontification and walked back toward the surgical biobed, giving Future Kes the opportunity to step back toward the Sickbay doors and slip out.

"Of course, it's not that I require one for reasons of vanity," he said. "I'm just a hologram, after all. But if I had a name other than "Doctor" or "Hey You" it might encourage the crew to treat me with a little more respect."

He cut his speech short as the hiss of the doors closing behind Future Kes finally registered just as he was finishing a sentence. Annoyed, the Doctor turned and asked, "Kes?"

***

In the airponics bay, past the rows of flowers and thriving vegetation, the Kes who actually belonged in 2371 was collecting herbs into a small container. She finished working near the front of the bay and walked back to a large cultivation chamber. As she harvested more herbs, she heard the sound of the bay doors. Past Kes turned at the sound and saw the open doors.

"Hello?"

No response. The doors hissed shut.

"Neelix?"

Silence. Past Kes glanced around for a moment, slightly puzzled, and then turned back to her work. Behind her, Future Kes approached quietly. She raised the hypospray she had taken from sickbay and quickly injected her past self, who slumped to the deck, sedated into unconsciousness. Future Kes knelt down and removed her counterpart's combadge and placed it onto her own chest, thus assuming Past Kes' identity.

Future Kes spent several minutes contemplating her former self.

***


	3. Chapter 3

ACT 2

2371, The Past.

Mess Hall

In the Mess Hall, Tom Paris worked his way through the bustling lunchtime crowd toward the counter of Neelix's galley. He set a plate down that contained an odd-looking sandwich that could only be described as an "inverse cheeseburger" - two slices of bread between two cheese covered meat patties. Neelix looked up.

"Care to explain?" asked Paris.

"Your cheeseburger," said Neelix.

"I've eaten a lot of strange foods in a lot of strange places, but I've never seen anything like this."

Neelix cheerfully said, "I followed your recipe - synthetic ground beef, cheddar cheese, two slices of yeast leavened dough." His voice trailed off as he realized something. "I forgot the ketchup."

"Neelix, a cheeseburger is a classic dish – it's more than just meat and cheese," Paris explained patiently. "It has specific design parameters."

"Such as?"

"The buns go on the outside."

Neelix ratcheted his enthusiasm up a notch. "Well, then consider this a re-engineering of a classic dish."

Paris smiled and took a different tack. "You know, if you want to put your own stamp on it," he said, "maybe you should give it your own name, like the 'Greasy Neelix' or the 'Double Talaxian with Cheese.'"

"Has a nice ring to it," Neelix said, after a moment's thought. Paris shook his head good-naturedly and moved off with his lunch.

Future Kes had come through the Mess Hall doors while Neelix and Paris were engaged in their discussion. She glanced around at the crew she hadn't seen in many years, her expression guarded, but trying to blend in and put on a pleasant face. As Paris walked away to return to his seat, Neelix saw Future Kes standing there observing the crew. She took a moment to subdue mixed feelings for her former companion, and then walked toward him.

"Sweeting! What'll it be, the usual?" asked Neelix, delighted to see her.

Future Kes was reluctant to meet his eyes. "I'm not hungry," she said. "I thought I'd bring Captain Janeway some coffee."

"That's very thoughtful," Neelix said, as he started to prepare a pot of coffee. He looked over at Future Kes. "I'm looking forward to tonight."

"Actually, I have a lot of work to do in sickbay," she said, looking away.

"But I already reserved the holodeck. I thought we could take a moonlit stroll through the marshlands of Oshionian Prime."

Future Kes didn't meet his eyes. "Another time. I promise."

Neelix stopped what he was doing for a moment to look at her. "Something wrong?" he asked.

"Bad morning," said Future Kes, with barely concealed impatience.

"Anything I can do?"

"I'll be fine," she answered, in a flat tone of voice, trying to cut the conversation short.

"I'm not having a great day either. Nobody seems to like today's menu." He smirked and said, "I tried blaming it on a replicator malfunction, but no one believed me."

In spite of herself, Future Kes began to smile slightly. Neelix noticed and craned his neck, trying to make eye contact. She continued to avoid his gaze, but his concern started to get through to her.

"Wait - I think I see something." With mock urgency, he tapped his chest and said, "Neelix to Security. Kes' frown is losing its structural integrity. Red Alert! I'm detecting a smile."

Future Kes smiled a little bit more.

"That's my Kes," he said, as he grasped her by the arms and gave them a little squeeze.

Future Kes finally met his eyes and held them, as she remembered how much Neelix's loving attention had always meant to her. Then the brief moment passed. Impatient to move on, she said through gritted teeth, "The coffee?"

Neelix handed her the thermos, and she picked up a mug from the counter. Future Kes headed for the door without another word. Neelix grew thoughtful as he watched her go.

***

In the ready room, Chakotay was in the middle of giving a status report to Janeway, who was absorbed in the display on her desktop monitor.

"That last attack nearly cost us our impulse drives," he said, pacing away from the desk. "Fortunately, B'Elanna found a way to reroute power from the deflector." He paced back toward Janeway.

The Captain glanced up at him playfully and said, "A good choice for chief engineer, if I do say so myself."

Chakotay looked at her monitor, which displayed a picture of a Vidiian alongside other data. "Getting to know your enemy?" he asked.

"I feel like I already do," she replied. "Remember the old story?" She leaned back in her chair. "A man goes to Risa, meets a beautiful woman who invites him for an evening of passion."

Chakotay picked up the story. "He wakes up the next morning feeling wonderful, until he discovers he's missing a kidney."

"Every cadet about to go on his first shore leave hears that cautionary tale." She looked at him pointedly. "Doesn't seem so outrageous anymore, does it?" she asked, returning her attention to the monitor.

"No," Chakotay said, "but the Vidiians are more than just your garden variety monsters." I've been studying their culture. They were a lot like us -before the Phage."

Janeway looked up with a skeptical expression on her face. "Do I detect a note of sympathy?"

Chakotay gave her a wry smile and said, "Makes you wonder what we'd do under the same circumstances."

The door chimed and Janeway called out, "Come in."

Future Kes stepped through the open door, carrying a thermos and mug. Chakotay nodded to Janeway, and left as the Ocampan was setting the mug on the desk.

"Oh, you read my mind," Janeway said, and looked back at the monitor.

As Future Kes prepared to pour the coffee, she noticed the data on the monitor. She looked at Janeway with mock anxiety and asked, "Vidiians?"

"I'm afraid so. We just picked up two more ships on long-range sensors." Janeway looked up and hastened to reassure a visibly alarmed Future Kes, saying, "I've gone to full tactical alert. We're taking every precaution."

Future Kes noted this with interest as she began to pour the coffee into Janeway's mug. "I'm sure you'll get us through it safely," she said.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Janeway said. She looked up at Future Kes and smiled, and then turned back to study something on monitor again. Future Kes stared at her for a brief moment with barely hidden contempt.

"Tuvok thinks he's found a way to penetrate their shields," Janeway said. She glanced up at Future Kes. "Next time, they won't be able to attack us so easily."

"That's good to hear," Future Kes said, her voice tight.

Tuvok's voice broke in over the com. "Captain to the bridge."

"On my way."

Janeway stood to go. Future Kes saw an opportunity to gather information, so she deliberately "spilled" a small amount of coffee onto Janeway's desk. She feigned surprise as she said, "I'm so clumsy. I'm sorry." Future Kes grabbed a nearby small towel and began to clean up the mess.

"Don't worry about it," Janeway said, as she stood and started for the bridge. "That desk has seen its share of coffee spills, believe me."

Future Kes smiled and continued cleaning. She waited a few moments after Janeway left, and glanced over her shoulder to be certain that the doors were closed. She then went around the desk to sit down and look more closely at the data on the monitor. Future Kes memorized what was on the screen so that she could restore it once she was finished gathering information. She tapped a few controls, and the monitor displayed a long range tactical scan that included a star chart with a graphic of a Vidiian ship. Future Kes studied the screen intently.

***

On the bridge, Janeway had walked over to join Tuvok and Ensign Samantha Wildman at the science station.

Tuvok turned to Janeway and said, "Ensign Wildman has an intriguing proposal."

Wildman brought up some data on her console as she spoke. "We've been analyzing the Vidiian bio-readings from the last attack. Their immune systems have been compromised by the Phage." She looked up at Janeway. "We could synthesize a neural agent that would incapacitate them, without affecting us."

Janeway nodded. "Might come in handy if we're ever boarded."

" Exactly."

Tuvok felt a brief, disturbing sensation pass over him. He looked toward the back of the bridge and saw Future Kes near the tactical station, on her way to the turbolift. He watched her go, troubled by something he couldn't quite identify nagging at him. Future Kes noticed him staring at her and held Tuvok's gaze for several moments before quickly getting on the turbolift.

"Work with the Doctor," said Janeway to Wildman. "When you've got something, find a way to deploy it through the environmental systems."

"Aye, Captain."

Still vaguely troubled, Tuvok sighed and turned his attention back to Janeway and Wildman.

***

The senior staff was seated around the table in the briefing room, except for Chakotay, who was on his feet and pacing. They had been joined by the Doctor, who was attending the meeting via the wall monitor.

"The ships we detected earlier have disappeared from our sensors," said Tuvok.

"Maybe we outran them," Kim offered.

Torres gave him a look and said, "They wouldn't give up that easily."

The Doctor cut in. "Why would they? Voyager's the only organ bank within half a parsec."

Chakotay walked over to the wall monitor, and then voiced his concern. "We fought off their first attacks. Now they seem to be content to show up on sensors just long enough to make us change course. It's like we're being herded somewhere."

Paris scrolled a padd he was holding and said, "If we maintain our present course, we're going to enter a region filled with subspace vacuoles."

"We'd have to drop to impulse to get through," said Torres.

Chakotay met her eyes. "Sounds like a good place for an ambush."

"The Maquis used to lure the Cardassians into the Badlands. Those Galor Class cruisers had nowhere to run," Torres said to Janeway with a laugh.

"Neither will we," said Janeway, "unless…" Her voice trailed off as an idea began to form. She stood and walked to wall monitor, and then turned to Paris. "Tom, how dense are those vacuoles?"

Paris made several calculations on his padd and said, "They cover about seventy percent of the region."

Janeway said, "Excuse me, Doctor," and tapped a few controls next to the monitor.

The Doctor stiffened, ready to protest, but blinked off the screen before he could say a word. He was replaced by a schematic of the area under discussion. It was filled with pockets of subspace.

Janeway turned to Paris and said, "Tom, what's the first thing they teach you about maneuvering at warp?

"Faster than light, no left or right," said Paris. He stood and walked over to Janeway. At seeing Tuvok's raised eyebrow, he gave a more formal answer. "When possible, maintain a linear trajectory. Course corrections can fracture the hull."

"Exactly," said Janeway. "We'd have to drop to impulse every time we made a course change." She looked at Tom for a moment, and then said, "But what if we let _Voyager_ do the driving?"

"Ma'am?" asked Harry Kim.

"We could pre-program every kilometer," Janeway said to Kim. That way, we'd only spend a second or two at impulse each time the computer executed a turn."

Paris was doubtful. "Auto-navigation the entire way?"

Janeway turned back to him and said, "No offense, but the neural gel packs can calculate vectors a little faster than you can."

"B'Elanna?" Chakotay asked.

"We'd need a more accurate scan of the region," said Torres. "If we even graze one of those vacuoles…"

"We could send a shuttle ahead," said Kim.

"The _Delta Flyer_," said Tuvok. Puzzled faced turned to look at him. "Its sensors are more advanced."

Janeway and Chakotay glanced at one another momentarily, and then the Captain looked at Tuvok and asked, "The _Delta_ what?"

The Vulcan looked momentarily confused. "Forgive me," he said. "I must be thinking of another starship."

There was a brief awkward silence, and then Janeway turned back to Paris. "Prepare a shuttle." She then addressed the entire staff. "I want all of _Voyager's_ systems operating at peak efficiency by the time Tom gets back. If we're going to pull this off, there's no margin for error."

The meeting broke up and the senior staff headed for the door. Tuvok sat at his place for a few moments longer, still disturbed by his "slip of the tongue," and then stood and filed out the room with the others.

***

Meanwhile, Future Kes was in the shuttlebay, inside one of the shuttlecraft close to the door. The rear hatch was open as she sat in the pilot's seat, working intently at a console.

"Computer, display the Ocampan homeworld." There was a flicker of emotion in her eyes as a view of Ocampa came up onto the monitor. "Plot a course from _Voyager's_ current position." The monitor displayed a flight path. Future Kes was so absorbed in studying it that she didn't hear the shuttlebay doors open.

"Homesick?"

Future Kes turned to see Paris standing in the open rear hatch of the shuttle. "Lieutenant," she said.

"Tom." Paris glanced quickly at the flight plan on the monitor and took the co-pilot's seat. "It's okay. There are a lot of people on board who feel the same way."

"I spent my entire life trying to get away from Ocampa," said Future Kes. "Why would I want to go back?"

"Because it's home," he said, looking at her.

Future Kes didn't answer, unable to deny the attraction of that sentiment.

Paris started to work at the co-pilot's console. "Of course, 'home' for me means a penal colony," he said. "Out here, I get to fly a state-of-the-art ship, and there's not an Admiral in sight."

Future Kes watched him closely, more interested in finding out his plans than in hearing his personal revelations. "What are you doing?"

"Getting ready for a scouting mission," he replied. Paris heard her console beep and looked up to ask, "Planning on going somewhere?"

Future Kes grew defensive. "No, of course not. I was just… studying the helm configurations."

"I didn't know you could pilot a shuttle," Paris said.

Future Kes responded as innocently as she could. "I can't. But I'd like to learn."

"Then why not learn from the best?" Paris asked. "I could start you off on the holodeck in an old Class One – that's the kind of shuttle my father used to take me up in."

"That would be very nice, Lieutenant," she said, getting up to leave. Paris gave her a mock frown, and she smiled and corrected herself, clapping him on the shoulder and saying, "Tom."

Paris returned her smile. He watched her turn to leave, and then directed his attention back to the console. Just before she stepped through the hatch, Future Kes paused to look back over her shoulder at him, her expression cold and calculating.

***

Tuvok walked down a corridor, studying a padd on his way to the turbolift. He tapped the control to call the car, and continued his study. The doors opened to reveal a half-alien child standing inside. Tuvok was startled to see her, as he knew that no children had been born aboard _Voyager_ during the brief period of time they had been in the Delta Quadrant.

"Identify yourself," he demanded.

"It's me, Tuvok. Naomi Wildman."

Naomi smiled up at him as she slipped past, and then walked away. Tuvok was momentarily taken aback, and then turned to follow the girl. Rounding a bend in the corridor, he saw the child glance over her shoulder at him, just before she disappeared into cargo bay 2.

Tuvok entered the bay and was startled yet again by another unusual sight. He saw a woman and twin boys with cybernetic implants standing in a row of Borg alcoves, their eyes closed while they regenerated. He stared at them, unable to comprehend what they could possibly be doing aboard _Voyager_.

A voice calling his name broke into his thoughts. Tuvok turned, and saw Lieutenant Carey seated at a console near a row of cargo containers.

"May I help you, sir?" When Tuvok didn't answer immediately, Carey asked, "Lieutenant, is something wrong?"

Tuvok didn't answer him. He turned back to the alcoves, and saw that they were no longer there. That disturbed him so thoroughly that he walked out of the cargo bay without saying another word.

***

Future Kes tapped the control panel to her quarters. The doors opened, and Kes was surprised to see that someone had been inside to lower the lights and direct the computer to play her favorite music. In the center of the room, a small table had been elegantly set for one, complete with candles and flowers.

She moved to the table and found a padd with the words "Active File" on the screen. Below that was a blinking message, reading "Press Here." She tapped the control on the padd, and heard Neelix's pre-recorded voice.

"Hello, Sweeting. I took the liberty of preparing one of your favorite meals. It's under replicator program 'Neelix One.' Call me if you'd like some company. Miss you."

The playback ended. Future Kes took everything in, and then growled and threw the padd. She swept the table setting to the floor in a burst of anger, and then overturned a chair. She stopped, fists clenched as she struggled to regain her composure long enough to do what she had planned. Once she was calm again, Future Kes moved toward a nearby desktop monitor.

"Computer, end music." The music stopped. "Open an encrypted channel. Direct the signal to the following coordinates." She punched the data into the console, and stood by, wringing her hands as she waited for the computer to execute her command.

The computer beeped and responded. "Channel open."

Future Kes spoke into the open channel. "My name is Kes. I'm aboard the starship _Voyager_. Respond."

No answer.

"I know you're receiving this transmission, and I also know that your plan to capture this ship will fail," she said. "If you want to "harvest" _Voyager's_ crew, I suggest you answer me now."

Communications silence stretched for a long moment, and then the monitor came alive with the image of a Vidiian captain. His face and hands were a grotesque patchwork of skin grafts from several different alien species. He eyed her suspiciously.

"Explain."

"Captain Janeway is aware of your ambush," Future Kes said, finally sitting down at the monitor. "She's found a way to evade your vessels, but I can help you."

"I'm listening."

"I can send you tactical data on their shields, weapons - everything you need to take this ship."

The Vidiian Captain took this in. "This is a deception."

"Do you want this crew or not?" Future Kes asked, her voice edged with anger.

The air was tense while the Vidiian considered her offer. Then he asked, "In return?"

"Safe passage to Ocampa for myself and one other," she replied.

The Vidiian Captain was skeptical. "Why would you sentence your own crew to death?" he asked.

"They're not my crew," Future Kes replied coldly. She leaned in closer to the monitor and said, "They abandoned me a long time ago."

***


	4. Chapter 4

ACT 3

2371- The Past.

Airponics Bay

Future Kes walked past the rows of vegetation in airponics until she reached the cultivation chamber near the back of the bay where the herbs grew. Kneeling down in front of it, she placed a small medkit on the floor next to her. She then tapped the control for a storage drawer at the bottom of the chamber. It quietly slid open, revealing Past Kes peacefully asleep inside the small compartment. Future Kes opened the medkit and pulled out a tricorder to scan her. Checking the readings, she picked up and adjusted a hypospray and then injected the sleeping Ocampan.

Future Kes contemplated her younger self. She reached over to brush a stray bit of foliage away from Past Kes' face, fussing over her as though she was one of the more exotic flowers in airponics that required special attention. After making certain Past Kes was alive and sedated, she tapped a control and the storage compartment slid closed. Future Kes stood and walked over to a nearby free-standing console, and tapped several controls on the console.

"Computer, access Voyager's tactical database."

"Command authorization required," responded the computer.

Future Kes placed her hand on the console and focused her mental abilities. The monitor flickered momentarily, and then the computer beeped and said, "Access granted."

_Voyager's_ tactical data began to scroll down the screen. Kes studied it until she found what she needed, and then left airponics.

***

Meanwhile, Tuvok was in Janeway's quarters, reporting his unsettling "visions" to the Captain.

"_Naomi_ Wildman?" Janeway asked, stressing the first name. She replaced a small object on a shelf near her desk and took a few steps toward Tuvok.

Tuvok nodded, and said, "She appeared to be half-Katarian."

Janeway absorbed this information. Resting her hand on her hip, she said, "Ensign Wildman's husband is Katarian. I met him once on Deep Space Nine."

"There's more." Tuvok recalled the rest of the incident. "I followed her to cargo bay 2, where I saw a woman and two children, all with cybernetic implants."

"Borg?" Janeway was unable to mask her surprise. She moved over to Tuvok, and they both walked toward the viewports.

"I can't explain it, Captain." Tuvok stopped walking. With difficulty, he admitted, "I've had hallucinations before, but only while in a state of deep meditation. These were specific, and they evoked a sense of anticipation."

Janeway studied his face closely. "It almost sounds like you're describing a premonition."

"Indeed."

"I didn't think Vulcans had premonitions," she said.

"They don't. That's what concerns me," he said, his glance meeting her eyes.

Janeway was troubled by his report. She looked away for a moment, and then ordered, "Computer - maintain a continuous proximity scan of Lieutenant Tuvok, ten meter radius, all sensor parameters." She turned back to Tuvok. "In case you have any more "visions."

"A logical plan," he said.

Just then, Chakotay's voice broke in. "Bridge to Captain Janeway."

"Go ahead."

"We're approaching the vacuoles."

"On my way."

Janeway and Tuvok left her quarters and headed for the turbolift.

***

On the bridge, the main viewscreen showed a region filled with small, swirling eddies of gas and dust. Chakotay looked up from the console next to his seat when Janeway and Tuvok stepped out of the turbolift.

"Last chance to take the long way around," he said as the Captain came down the stairs and walked toward her chair.

"It does feel like we're sneaking though a graveyard at midnight," said Janeway, with a wry smile. "Any sign of the Vidiians?" she asked.

"Not yet, but it's a safe bet they're in there," Chakotay said.

"Tom?" she asked.

"Trajectories laid in," Paris answered. "Our trip'll take three hours, twelve minutes, eleven seconds, with two hundred and sixteen course corrections."

"Well, let's get started," Janeway said, taking her seat. She turned to watch their progress on the console to her left.

Paris tapped a few controls. "Engaging at warp eight," he said. "Sit back and enjoy the ride."

The ship trembled slightly. Janeway glanced up at Ops.

"One of the vacuoles shifted position," said Kim. "The computer's adjusting our vector."

The ship trembled again.

"Dropping to impulse," said Paris, monitoring his console. "Two point three degree turn starboard. Jumping to warp six."

Chakotay smirked. "One down, two hundred fifteen to go."

Janeway stood and said to Chakotay, "I'll be in sickbay." He nodded as she headed for the turbolift.

Paris continued to keep tabs on their journey. "Dropping to impulse. New heading, oh thirty-one mark two."

Tuvok was busy at Tactical, absorbed in monitoring his station. He grew troubled as another sense of dread and foreboding washed over him. He heard his console sound an alarm, and glanced over to the right to check it. "There's a ship approaching. It's on a collision course!" he called out.

Paris checked his readings at the helm and turned back to Tactical with a puzzled expression on his face. "I'm not reading any ship."

Chakotay eyed Tuvok. "Lieutenant?"

Tuvok rechecked his console, and saw that Paris was correct. The misperception unnerved him, and he said to Chakotay, "Permission to be relieved, sir. I'm… not well."

"Of course."

Tuvok stepped onto the turbolift, as Paris and Chakotay shared a concerned glance.

***

In the medlab, the Doctor and Ensign Wildman were working at a monitor that displayed a Patient Biometric Status screen. The Doctor punched in few commands to bring up Molecular Scan 1027. He looked it over and said, "The molecular structure appears to be stable. Good."

"Report," said Janeway as she entered the lab.

The doctor indicated the monitor showing a graphic of a complex molecule and said, "We've devised a neural agent that should inhibit the Vidiians' motor functions, without causing any permanent damage."

"Good," said Janeway with a wry smile. "I don't want to add to their health problems." She glanced at Wildman. "I just want to keep them from adding to ours."

"I'll get to work," said Wildman. She picked up a padd and walked through the Doctor's office on her way into sickbay proper to use the console there. Janeway walked over to the office windows and watched her thoughtfully for a few moments, and then turned back to the EMH.

"Doctor, when was the last time you examined Ensign Wildman?"

The Doctor glanced up briefly from his console as he continued to work. "I performed her annual physical six weeks ago."

Janeway walked over to the Doctor and moved in close to him to speak confidentially. She lowered her voice and asked, "Did you find anything… unusual?"

"She's in perfect health."

Janeway decided to be a little more direct. "This may seem like a strange question, but I need to know if she's pregnant."

That got the Doctor's attention. He deliberately looked away, saying brusquely, "I'm not at liberty to disclose that kind of information. Doctor-patient confidentiality."

"What about 'Captain's orders?'"

"Sorry." His voice took on an imperious tone. "Medical protocols supersede your authority in these matters."

Janeway remained firm. "The security of this ship could be at stake."

The Doctor sighed and relented. "She planned on telling you herself."

Janeway's suspicions were confirmed. "Boy or girl?" she asked.

"A female," he answered, "half-Katarian, as a matter of fact, which should nearly double the infant's gestation period." His curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to her and asked, "How did you know?"

Janeway turned to leave the medlab before he even finished his question. The Doctor's face took on a sour expression as he watched the doors hiss shut behind her. "And they say I'm rude," he said, rolling his eyes.

***

Tuvok moved down the corridor, disturbed by his brief hallucination on the bridge. He began to hear the faint sounds of people yelling, and the klaxon blare of Red Alert.

_"…we're receiving a distress call… lifesigns… it's Ocampan… Kes?.. let me come on board…"_

He stopped and turned around. Nothing there. As Tuvok continued down the corridor, he began to hear the sound of phaser fire. The voices continued.

_"…her ship is accelerating… it's on a collision course..."_

Tuvok turned and glanced around himself again and moved quickly to the end of the corridor.

_"… hull breach on Deck 9… emergency forcefields…"_

He rounded the corner and found the adjoining corridor empty. Tuvok began to walk again, driven by the constant barrage of voices tumbling over one another in his mind.

_"…she's approaching main engineering… state your intentions… let me come on board…it's on a collision course… forcefields… we're receiving a distress call…Bridge to engineering… intruder alert…stop where you are…" _

He found himself standing in front of the doors to main engineering. He could hear yelling, crackling energy, and a great deal of commotion from within. Tuvok steeled himself, preparing for yet another hallucination, and then walked toward the doors. The sounds grew louder and more ominous as he entered…

…a perfectly quiet room. Everything was normal, with the engineering staff working at their usual stations. Lieutenant Torres turned to look at Tuvok as he walked right past her, still in the grip of his auditory hallucination as the voices drove him to keep moving forward.

_"…Kes?.. state your… power's fluctuating…Kes is in direct contact with the warp core…she's drawing power from it… shut it down…"_

The quiet, normal state of the department finally dawned on Tuvok. He turned to look back and stare at the doors he had just walked through and didn't see Torres coming toward him.

"Problem?" she asked.

Tuvok startled and turned to her, disbelief plainly written on his face. He turned back to stare at the warp core, and was violently seized by another hallucination. He saw Future Kes with her hands on it, her attention focused on _Voyager's_ chief engineer. Tuvok flinched as he watched an antimatter tendril pierce completely through Torres' body, and he heard her cry out as she crumpled to the deck with plasma burns to her back and chest. He stiffened and clutched his temple as a sharp pain stabbed at him. Torres rushed toward Tuvok with evident concern as he staggered back, away from the vision and into the consoles lining the wall.

"Hey…"

Tuvok jerked away from the wall, overwhelmed. Torres grabbed his hand and quickly moved to support him as he sank to the floor and began to convulse.

"Torres to sickbay – medical emergency."

Tuvok lay on the floor of engineering, unconscious, as Torres called for an emergency transport.

***

In sickbay moments later, Tuvok lay on the surgical biobed, still unconscious and convulsing. The Doctor was scanning him while Future Kes assisted, working the controls on the bioshell arm.

"Twenty milligrams lectrazine!" the Doctor barked.

Future Kes grabbed a hypospray, adjusted it, and handed it to the Doctor, who then injected Tuvok.

"Cortical stimulator."

Future Kes grabbed the nearby device and leaned over Tuvok to place it on his left temple. His eyes fluttered open momentarily. As he struggled to regain consciousness, Tuvok looked up at Future Kes and his mind made a connection.

"You…," he said, in a ragged voice.

Future Kes reacted with alarm. She quickly glanced over at the Doctor, whose back was turned as he entered commands into the nearby free-standing console. Thinking quickly, she made a small adjustment to the cortical stimulator to ramp up the charge.

"Ready, Doctor," she said.

The Doctor turned to work a control on the bioshell arm. "We'll start at twenty millijoules," he said, and tapped the panel. Tuvok's eyes snapped wide open as his back arched up off the biobed. He seized in pain and then slipped into unconsciousness again. Medical alarms began to go off.

The Doctor checked his readings as Future Kes hovered nearby. "He's gone into synaptic shock. I don't understand."

***

Once the immediate crisis was over and Tuvok was resting comfortably, the Doctor commed Janeway to report the Vulcan's illness and medical status. She came to sickbay immediately, and walked into the EMH's office to discuss her tactical officer's condition. Future Kes worked nearby at the free-standing console in the middle of the room.

"Can I speak with him?" a concerned Janeway asked, looking out through the office window at Tuvok lying on the surgical biobed.

"I think it's best to keep him sedated for now." Future Kes glanced up briefly at the Doctor's words, and then turned back to the console. Janeway continued to watch Tuvok, her mind working.

"When did this begin?"

"Early this afternoon," the Doctor answered. "In engineering."

"Time," Janeway insisted. "I need the exact time."

He thought for a moment, and then said, "Lieutenant Torres called sickbay at fourteen hundred, twenty-two hours."

Janeway took note and moved to the wall monitor. Future Kes glanced up from her work on the console long enough to see the Captain begin to input commands. She busied herself again, watching and listening furtively as Janeway began to speak again.

"Computer, display proximity scan of Lieutenant Tuvok at fourteen hundred, twenty-two hours."

The monitor displayed alpha-numeric data and a graph with a pronounced spike in it. Janeway studied the data and sighed.

"Captain?" asked the Doctor.

"Tachyons," she said, her voice flat with deep annoyance.

"I beg your pardon?"

"There was a surge of tachyon particles just before Lieutenant Tuvok collapsed," she said, indicating the data on the monitor.

"That could have triggered this, but where did they come from?"

Janeway rubbed her forehead to forestall the headache she could feel getting started. "They're normally caused by temporal distortions," she said.

"Time travel?"

"Let me know if his condition changes," Janeway said, cutting off further discussion. She walked out of the office and headed toward Future Kes.

"Kes," Janeway said.

Future Kes glanced up and tensed, not sure yet just how much Janeway had figured out.

"You have telepathic abilities," the Captain said. "Have you experienced anything unusual during the past couple of days? Hallucinations? Premonitions?"

"No. Nothing."

"If you do, you'll let me know?"

"Of course, Captain."

Janeway turned and left sickbay. Future Kes' demeanor changed the moment the doors snapped shut behind the Captain. She realized that she needed to take immediate action, since it now appeared there was little time remaining before her plan was discovered. Future Kes thought for a moment and then walked over to the office, where the Doctor was seated and working at his desktop monitor.

"We're low on neuro-stabilizers," she said, in an anxious voice. "I'll go replicate some more."

"Hurry back," said the Doctor as Future Kes quickly left the room. He watched her go, puzzled by her behavior.

***

Future Kes contacted the Vidiian captain from her quarters a few minutes later. He immediately began to pressure her.

"Where's the tactical data you promised us?"

"I'm downloading it," Future Kes answered. "I'll transmit it to you once you've arrived."

"I need it now," the Vidiian insisted.

"Janeway's already suspicious. If I transmit it now, I'll be discovered."

"That's your problem."

"Apparently, it's yours too," she snapped back at him.

The Vidiian eyed her with distrust as he considered her ultimatum.

***

On the bridge, Chakotay was working alongside Kim at Ops. Janeway stepped off the turbolift and walked across the secondary engineering level to join them.

"Gentlemen, scan for tachyon particles, deck by deck," she ordered.

"Tachyons?" Kim asked.

"Do it." Janeway moved down the steps in front of Ops to the command level, and started toward her chair.

Chakotay was curious. "Looking for something specific?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," she said over her shoulder.

Suddenly, the ship jolted hard and went to Red Alert as it was hit by unexpected weapons fire. Janeway stumbled and grabbed the console next to her as she fell into her command chair.

"Report!" called out Chakotay as he started down the stairs to the command deck.

_Voyager_ shook again.

"We're under attack," Paris said, reading off his console. He glanced at Chakotay over his shoulder. "A Vidiian ship is closing on our position."

"Battle stations!" ordered Janeway, as the deck rolled again.

Behind them, a Vidiian ship was firing on _Voyager_, closing in on the smaller ship. The crew scrambled to defend themselves and continue moving through the field of subspace vacuoles.

***


	5. Chapter 5

ACT 4

The Past, 2371.

The Bridge

_Voyager_ shook with a series of rapid-fire jolts as it took heavy weapons fire. The bridge crew hung on as consoles blew out and alarms continued to sound around them.

"We've lost warp drive and weapons," Kim reported.

. "They're cutting through our shields," said Chakotay, reading the data on his console. "Remodulate."

"I'm trying," Kim said. "They keep matching the frequencies." Janeway reacted with alarm.

"We've still got impulse," Chakotay said.

"They've taken out navigation," Paris said. "I can't plot a course."

Tension escalated on the bridge as the crew realized they were dead in space.

***

In airponics, Future Kes was working at the free-standing console. She had pulled up _Voyager's_ tactical data onto the monitor, including shield frequencies, and was transmitting it to the Vidiians.

***

_Voyager_ continued to maneuver slowly through the field of vacuoles. The massive Vidiian ship loomed directly overhead and dwarfed the smaller vessel as it extended several grappling hooks. The Bridge crew felt a jolt, and then heard a metallic clang echo throughout the ship.

Chakotay read off his console. "They're cutting an access route through the hull." He turned to Kim. "Evacuate deck 3 and seal it off."

"Bridge to sickbay," said Janeway. "Are you ready with that neural agent?"

"Aye, Captain."

"Stand by to release it on Deck 3."

***

In the medlab section of Sickbay, the Doctor and Ensign Wildman were working at their stations.

"Acknowledged." The EMH turned to Wildman and said, "Fifty milliliters should suffice."

Wildman nodded, and tapped several commands into her console. The monitor began to flash and sound an alarm.

"Doctor!"

He rushed to her side.

***

On the bridge, tension was high as the Captain waited for the report that the neural agent had been released.

"Doctor to the bridge. Environmental controls aren't responding."

Janeway stood and crossed the command deck to lean on the railing in front of Ops. "Harry?" she asked.

"We've been locked out of that system."

"What do you mean "locked out?"

"The command relays have been fused," said Kim.

Janeway turned to Chakotay. "They knew where to find us. They knew our shield frequencies, which systems to target," she said, her mind working. Chakotay began entering commands into his console.

_Voyager_ shook again. Janeway looked up at Harry.

Kim looked up and said, "We're being boarded."

Chakotay reacted to the data he was seeing. "I'm reading an EM fluctuation." He checked the panel again. "It could be a transmission."

"Location?" Janeway asked, taking a step toward Chakotay.

"Airponics bay."

"Who's down there?"

"I'm picking up two bio-readings." He was puzzled by something on the monitor and said, "The sensors must be malfunctioning. They're both reading as Kes."

The final piece of the puzzle fell into place for Janeway. "Security to airponics bay," Janeway called out as she ran up the stairs to the secondary engineering level. "Shut down control functions to that section. I'm going down there." Janeway leaned over the railing long enough to say to Chakotay, "Something tells me we've got more than one battle on our hands."

***

In airponics, Future Kes was still transmitting data to the Vidiians when her monitor suddenly flickered out and went dark. She realized that her treachery had been discovered. Future Kes moved toward the cultivation chamber and tapped the panel to open the storage drawer. Past Kes was still inside, unconscious.

"Computer – initiate site to site transport. Program Kes beta – six."

"Unable to comply. Control functions have been disabled."

Future Kes was caught off guard. Thinking quickly, she opened the medkit she had left nearby and pulled out a hypospray. She injected Past Kes, who roused slightly and looked up, disoriented and confused. She was about to speak when Future Kes shushed her.

"Shh. I'm taking you home," said Future Kes as she reached for her younger self.

***

Janeway and two security guards armed with phaser rifles advanced quickly down the corridor on their way to airponics. They came to an intersection and had just rounded the corner when suddenly, alien particle weapons fire whizzed past them. Two Vidiians were coming toward them, weapons drawn.

The three fell back to the corridor out of which they had just come. Janeway peered around the corner, and weapons fire flew past her head. As the ship trembled again from the external attack, she turned to the guards and motioned with her phaser for them to lay down covering fire. The guards nodded, moved out into the open, and began firing at the intruders. Janeway bolted across the intersection, getting off a shot as she ran toward airponics by a different route.

***

On the bridge, Kim announced, "We've got weapons back."

"Can you target those hooks?" Chakotay asked.

"Not at this range," said Kim, working his console. "We'd breach the upper hull."

"It's better than being dissected," said Paris, turning from the helm to catch Kim's eye.

Chakotay joined Kim at the Ops station. "Reverse the hull polarity," he said. "Maybe we can shake them loose."

Kim began entering commands into his console.

***

In airponics, Future Kes had gotten Past Kes out of the storage drawer. She was now supporting the semi-conscious woman, who was unsteady on her feet. Future Kes hoped to make their way to the transporter room on foot as she started to help Past Kes toward the bay doors.

Before Future Kes could reach the exit, the doors opened, revealing Captain Janeway with her phaser drawn. Janeway stepped into the airponics and stopped, startled momentarily at the sight of two Keses. She slowly took a few steps forward, keeping her phaser trained on Future Kes, and said, "Now, one of you doesn't belong here, and I'm guessing it's you."

Janeway slowly eased her way past Future Kes to take up a position in an aisle near the free-standing console. Realization struck. "Tuvok's premonitions were real," she said. "You're from the future."

"A future I'm about to change," said Future Kes, with an edge in her voice.

"You're helping the Vidiians. Why?"

The ship trembled from the attack. Future Kes felt a flare of anger, and focused her psychokinetic energies on Janeway. The air in front of the Captain distorted as a bolt of telepathic energy picked her up and threw her hard against the bulkhead at the end of the aisle. Her arms flew above her head as she hit. Janeway's phaser dropped from her hand, landing a few feet away. She slid to the deck, groaning and momentarily stunned.

Future Kes moved toward the bay doors again with Past Kes, who was still barely conscious. The doors slid open, and blue and orange phaser blasts flew past as they stood there, watching. Future Kes could hear people calling for Security as the battle raged throughout the deck. She quickly pulled her younger self back inside, unsure of what to do. With every avenue of escape cut off, she was growing desperate.

By this time, Janeway had struggled to her feet and recovered her phaser. She had made it over to the free-standing console, and was leaning on it for support, her face drawn. She took a few careful steps toward Future Kes and said, "Tell me why you're doing this."

Future Kes gently laid her younger self on the deck and motioned toward her. "I won't let you hurt her again," she said.

"I haven't done anything to harm her."

"You took her from Ocampa, her home. She's a prisoner on this ship," Future Kes said as she stepped over the semi-conscious woman lying in front of her. She began to advance slowly toward Janeway, who fell back toward the console.

"No one's a prisoner here."

A flash of anger crossed Future Kes' face at being contradicted. "I was a child. You corrupted me with your ideas."

"What ideas?"

""Exploration, discovery," Future Kes spat, her arms flailing. She said bitterly, "I believed you."

_Voyager_ trembled again from the attack. As the lights in the cargo bay began to flicker slightly, Future Kes became more agitated, her anxiety level rising.

***

Another tremble was felt on the bridge. Kim studied his console and said, "Hull polarity loosened their hold, but not by much."

"It's a start," said Chakotay. He thought for a moment and then ordered, "Reroute the deflector. Have it discharge anti-graviton pulses along the hull." Turning to Paris, Chakotay said, "Engage the inertial dampers. Get a controlled pitch going."

_Voyager's_ hull began to vibrate and buckle as the Vidiian ship's grappling hooks strained to maintain their grip.

***

Janeway and Future Kes could still hear phaser fire coming from the corridor outside airponics. Future Kes continued to move slowly toward Janeway. The Captain let go of the console that she had been using for support and fell back towards the rear of the bay, where the low planters containing bushes and small trees were located.

"In three years, I'm going to leave Voyager in search of… higher things," said Future Kes, with a hard edge to her voice. "Because you encouraged me to do it. You encouraged me to develop my mental abilities." Her face broke, and Future Kes struggled for composure as she recalled that time in her life. "But I wasn't ready," she said. "What I found – I couldn't control it. It scared me." She trailed off, disturbed by the memory.

As the ship continued to shudder and creak from the crew's attempts to loosen the grappling hooks, both women reacted with increasing apprehension. Future Kes began to speak again.

"I had nowhere to go. I thought of returning home, to Ocampa." Her emotions rose as she felt the ship tremble from another jolt of weapons fire. "But I'd changed too much. I knew they'd be frightened of me. I knew they wouldn't accept me." She motioned back toward Past Kes and said, "But they'll accept her."

Janeway absorbed all of this. She was moved by Future Kes' story, but determined to diffuse the situation. "You don't have to destroy this ship," she said. "We can help you."

"No! I trusted you."

"Kes…"

"NO!," shouted Future Kes, enraged. She focused her mind on Janeway. A telepathic distortion blasted the Captain, tossing her up into the air and backward several feet. She slammed hard to the deck, landing on her back. Once again, Janeway lay groaning and momentarily stunned.

_Voyager_ shook hard and pitched sharply as the cable connected to the grappling hook on the main hull snapped. Future Kes was knocked off balance. She lost her footing and fell.

***

As the ship jolted sharply downward, Kim checked his console and shouted, "We're breaking free!"

Paris turned to look back at Chakotay from the helm and said, "They're trying to lock on with a tractor beam."

"Reverse thrusters – full power!" Chakotay quickly ordered.

"That could tear the hull apart," countered Kim.

"Then tear it apart!"

Paris turned away from the First Officer's glare and engaged the thrusters. _Voyager_ shook hard several times in quick succession, and then broke away from the remaining grappling hook. It came loose from the neck of the ship, peeling away the section of portside hull plating where it had been attached. _Voyager_ gave a final hard jolt as a fireball shot out of the breached hull and scorched the port nacelle.

"Photon torpedos – full spread," ordered Chakotay as he moved away from Kim's station and down to the command deck.

"Ready. Fire!"

A volley of photon torpedos pummeled the underside of the Vidiian ship.

***

Airponics was now illuminated by emergency lighting only, the primary lights having gone off-line when the fireball erupted from the breached neck of the ship. Future Kes slowly got to her feet. Past Kes lay on the deck nearby, still semi-conscious.

Janeway used a nearby planter to try to leverage herself up off the deck. She had gotten to her knees when Future Kes began to advance on her again. Janeway managed to get off a shot. The blast knocked Future Kes backward, weakening her and giving Janeway enough time to get to her feet and stagger across the aisle to a cultivation chamber and grab it for support. She took a few difficult steps toward her adversary, her face tight with pain.

Future Kes focused her energy and blasted the Captain with another telepathic distortion, spinning her around and knocking her back into the cultivation chamber. Janeway turned, and leaning against the chamber for support, quickly tapped the phaser controls. She heard the weapon's high-pitched whine as she took aim.

"Kes, it's set to kill."

Future Kes hesitated for only a moment and then concentrated all of her waning energies on Janeway. The air began to distort wildly around the Ocampan, a visible embodiment of her rage. She moved relentlessly toward the Captain with deadly intent.

Janeway pushed herself forward and fired.

Future Kes stopped advancing and collapsed to the deck.

Janeway cried out in horror. Phaser in hand, the Captain staggered over to crouch down and roll Future Kes onto her back. Her eyes flickered open, consciousness fading. An unbearable moment of grief passed over Janeway as she watched Future Kes stare fixedly up at her and die. As she looked on, the Ocampan finally reverted to her true form - a much older, haggard version of the Kes _Voyager's_ crew knew and loved.

Janeway was deeply shaken by the experience. She looked at Future Kes for a long, tragic moment, and then tapped her combadge.

"Janeway to bridge. Status?"

"The Vidiians are in retreat," Chakotay answered. "Everything all right down there?"

Janeway bowed her head as both grief and the pain of her injuries pushed into her consciousness with full force. She fought them both down and said, "For now. Commander, I need you down here as soon as you can get away."

"Understood. Chakotay out."

Janeway painfully got to her feet. She stood between the two Keses lying on the deck, knowing that this wasn't over yet.

***

The acrid and pungent smells of smoke and seared flesh assaulted Chakotay's nostrils the moment he stepped off the turbolift on his way to answer the Captain's summons to airponics. He noted two LCARS panels that were still sparking, and as he rounded the curve in the corridor near airponics, he came upon several Vidiian bodies. He tapped his communicator.

"Chakotay to Bridge."

"Kim here."

"Harry, I've located the bodies of several Vidiians near the airponics Bay. I'll need you to coordinate with the Doctor to get them into stasis until we decide what we're going to do. Returning them to their people isn't an option, but neither is dumping them out an airlock. I'll see what I can find out about Vidiian burial customs once this crisis is over."

"Understood, sir," said Kim.

"There's also a couple of panels down here that've been shot out, but that's not a priority. Use your best judgment. I've got to get to the Captain."

"I'll take care of it, Commander. Bridge out."

Chakotay took a moment to survey the phaser burns on the bulkheads and ceilings, and realized that the fighting on this deck must have been incredibly fierce. He was grateful that the crew had not suffered any fatalities. They had been very lucky this time.

He reached the airponics bay doors, and was surprised to find that he needed his override code to open them. Chakotay was in for an even bigger shock when he entered the bay and saw two bodies lying on the deck. He hurried over to the first and felt for a pulse. Past Kes was alive, but unconscious. Walking toward the back of the bay, he stopped in astonishment at the sight of what appeared to be an elderly Ocampan. His tricorder told him it was also Kes, but showing no lifesigns. He understood immediately why the Captain had ordered the computer to secure the doors.

He looked around for Janeway and saw her leaning heavily on a nearby cultivation chamber, eyes closed, her head resting against one of the supporting struts. When she realized he was almost upon her, the Captain opened her eyes, straightened up, and matter-of-factly wiped the tears from her face.

"Report, Commander."

"We're out of danger, Captain," he said. "The Vidiians are gone. We took some damage to the hull, but emergency forcefields are in place with repairs underway. B'Elanna pulled off another one of her miracles and restored both navigation and warp power, so Tom is back to monitoring our course through the subspace vacuoles. With Tuvok down, I left Harry in charge. Tom will spell him once _Voyager_ is in the clear."

Chakotay looked at the two bodies lying on the deck and asked, "What happened here?"

"You were right," she answered. "They're both Kes." Janeway slowly and carefully walked over to stand near Future Kes. She looked down at the wizened Ocampan at her feet and said, "This Kes blamed me for her misfortune, and tried to turn us over to the Vidiians."

"That would explain the attack," replied Chakotay.

"We need to get our Kes to sickbay, Chakotay," said Janeway. "I don't think she can walk – it looks like she's been sedated." As Janeway started to lean over to remove Future Kes's communicator, she cried out as a sharp pain stabbed at her and forced her to quickly straighten up. She grabbed Chakotay's arm as her knees started to buckle. Involuntary tears from the excruciating pain ran down her cheeks.

Chakotay swung around so he could grab Janeway by both arms and steady her. "Captain, what did she do to you?" he asked.

"She used her psychokinetic abilities to slam me into a bulkhead and then the deck when I tried to reason with her. She kept knocking me around, but I was able to fire one shot. The stun setting didn't even slow her down, Chakotay," Janeway said, her voice colored by remembered horror. "I had to set the phaser to kill. She was determined to inflict as much pain as she could before finishing me off."

Janeway swayed slightly and started to tremble. Chakotay closed the remaining distance between them and carefully wrapped his arms around her for support. "Captain," he said, "You need to remain as still as possible. Your spine may have been injured when she attacked you."

Janeway nodded and leaned against her first officer, resting her head on his shoulder. Chakotay was amazed at how slight her frame actually was. This was the woman who had stepped in front of him without the slightest hesitation when he'd first beamed over to her ship at the Caretaker's array. He had been ready to charge at Tom Paris and deck him when he saw that smirking face in a Starfleet uniform. Chakotay marveled at her courage for walking into airponics without any backup, not knowing what she would be facing. He knew that she had not shot to kill until she was forced to.

Chakotay felt wetness seep through the fabric of his uniform and realized that Janeway was weeping again, whether from the pain of her injuries or from grief, he couldn't tell. He was certain that she was in shock, probably more emotional for the moment than physical. He also knew that she needed to feel comfort and safety above anything else at that moment if she was to get past this horrible thing without having it scar her soul. Gently, he began to rub small circles on her shoulder with his fingers to soothe her as she wept silently for a few minutes.

Janeway's trembling subsided as she regained her composure. Chakotay asked softly, "Can you walk?"

"I think so, but probably not very far."

Chakotay helped her over to one of the cultivation chambers. "Lean on this for now while I take care of the combadge." He walked to where Future Kes lay, reached down and plucked the device from her tunic, and then went over to Past Kes and attached it to hers.

Coming back for Janeway, he took her into his arms again, carefully supporting her as he slowly edged the two of them closer to Past Kes. He said, "Captain, I have an idea or two on how to handle the Doctor when we get to sickbay." Janeway nodded, in too much pain from her injuries to object.

"Computer, seal the doors to airponics, authorization Chakotay Beta 3. Lock onto all three combadges and beam us directly to sickbay." The computer beeped and began the dematerialization process.

***

The Doctor ran out of his office when he heard the whine of the transporter in main sickbay. He looked on in dismay as the command team appeared, with Janeway obviously in considerable pain and barely able to stand, even with Chakotay's help. Past Kes lay unconscious at their feet.

"Kes is sedated, Doctor, but her lifesigns are stable," said Chakotay. "I found her like that on my way to assist the Captain when we were boarded. There was an open medkit nearby." The Doctor's tricorder confirmed the presence of a sedative in Past Kes' bloodstream.

The Captain's badly injured," continued Chakotay. "She was thrown into a bulkhead during the battle with the Vidiians and then hard to the deck. I don't think anything's broken, but she's not too steady on her feet."

The Doctor began scanning the Captain. "Sickbay to Mr. Paris. You're needed down here immediately," he said before Chakotay could stop him.

"I'll be there as soon as I'm done," Paris responded.

The Doctor opened his mouth to insist when Chakotay cut him off. "Doctor, he'll get here as soon as he can. Right now, we're in a dangerous region of space, and his expertise is needed at the helm. Paris, what's our progress?"

"We're better than three-quarters of the way through. I'd say we've got at least another 15-20 minutes in here," Paris said.

"Understood. Call Baytart to relieve you once we're in the clear, and then report to sickbay."

"Aye, sir. Paris out."

Before the Doctor could begin to complain, Chakotay said, "Doctor, I'll stay down here to assist you until Paris arrives. I'm not a field medic, but I know my way around a dermal regenerator."

"Fine," the doctor snapped.

"What's the Captain's condition?" Chakotay asked, as the Doctor completed his scan.

"The good news is that there's no permanent neurological damage," the Doctor said. "Several muscles in her upper back are ruptured, and the entire area is deeply bruised. Additionally, she has torn muscles and ligaments in her shoulders, and her spinal vertebrae have been knocked out of alignment. It's a wonder she's conscious, let alone able to stand."

The Doctor reached over to a tray, loaded a hypospray, and injected Janeway. "This should reduce the pain until I can repair the damage. We need to get her onto her stomach on one of the biobeds. Any other position will just aggravate her injuries further."

Chakotay picked up the Captain and settled her on the biobed furthest from the door. Janeway's head began to clear as the pain receded to a more manageable level once the medication took full effect. She looked up at the EMH and asked tiredly, "Doctor, how is Tuvok?"

"Nearly recovered," he answered. "Whatever was affecting him seems to have vanished within the past forty-five minutes, so I'll be able to discharge Mr. Tuvok to his quarters in another hour or two."

Janeway and Chakotay held each other's eyes briefly, and then she looked over at the EMH and said, "Doctor, I need a few moments of privacy with my first officer."

"Of course. If the Commander would help me get Kes situated on a biobed first, I can begin examining her while the two of you discuss whatever's so important that it can't wait until after I've treated you."

Janeway glared at the Doctor's tone of voice, and made a mental note to speak to Torres about reprogramming his attitude subroutines. "Fine, Doctor," she snapped.

Tom Paris arrived in sickbay just as the Doctor and Chakotay were settling Kes on the biobed nearest the door. He saw the Captain lying on the bed near the back wall and caught Chakotay's eye.

"She's going to be fine, Paris," Chakotay said. "Help the Doctor with Kes and any stragglers that show up. Things got pretty ugly on Deck 8, so you may get a few more injured in here."

"Aye, sir."

The Doctor picked up a deep-tissue regenerator and programmed in a setting. He handed it to Chakotay and said, "Run that along the Captain's upper back while you two are having your little tête-à-tête. It should reduce some of the bruising and make my job easier when someone finally lets me to do it."

Paris caught Chakotay's attention and rolled his eyes to the ceiling as the Doctor handed the regenerator to the first officer. A shadow of a smile passed over the XO's face as he realized that Paris probably considered time spent with the EMH in sickbay to be a worse punishment than the brig. He would definitely have to remember that. With a nod to the Doctor and a smirk for Paris once the EMH's back was turned, Chakotay walked over to where the Captain lay and stood between her and the others so he could work on her bruises while they talked.

He leaned over her to speak softly and noticed a few stray wisps of hair that had come loose from her bun and fallen into her face. He gently brushed them back, and was rewarded with a smile. "Thank you, Commander. I would have done it myself, but it still hurts too much to move my arm."

"I thought it might," Chakotay said. He began to run the tissue regenerator over her injured back. "Captain, it's going to be a little hard to discuss this in here."

"It's all right, Chakotay. I had a few moments to think while you were helping the Doctor with Kes. You'll have to take care of the situation in airponics for me, since it looks like I'm going to be here for a while. Once Tuvok's released, I need both of you to work on getting our visitor's body into stasis somewhere without anyone else's knowledge. We can't pollute the timeline any further by involving the rest of the crew. I'm sure the Doctor is going to want me off duty for a day or two, so once he's released me to my quarters, I'll com the two of you and we'll sit down and figure out how to handle this, and what to tell the others."

"Sounds like a plan, Captain," said Chakotay. "Why don't you just rest for now and let me continue working on your bruises. You'll need your strength to deal with our holographic prima donna."

Janeway looked up at him and smirked. She let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes.

***


	6. Chapter 6

ACT 5

The Past, 2371

Engineering

Two days later, engineering was back to operating on a fairly normal schedule, with the worst damage to the ship having been repaired.

Tuvok stood inside the railing surrounding the active warp core and turned to speak quietly to Janeway, who stood nearby. "She was here, in my last premonition," he said. The Vulcan indicated exactly where he had seen Future Kes standing. "She appeared older - her face was tired."

"What was she doing?" asked Janeway.

"Her hands were on the casing," Tuvok recalled, "as if she was drawing energy from it."

Janeway took this in, and straightened up from where she had been leaning on the railing and eyed the core. "The tachyons are concentrated here." She thought for a moment and then said, "It's possible she needed the core to travel back in time."

"If that's true, she'll need it again," Tuvok said, nodding in agreement.

Janeway was still shaken by recent events. "But we don't know when that will be," she said, unsettled. "We have to be ready."

"Doctor to the Captain."

"Go ahead."

"Kes has regained consciousness."

Janeway and Tuvok shared a look. "On my way, Doctor. Janeway out." As they headed through the doors and into the corridor, the Captain tapped her communicator.

"Janeway to Chakotay."

"Chakotay here."

"Kes is awake. Meet us in sickbay."

"Understood."

***

Chakotay was already in sickbay chatting with Past Kes and the Doctor when Janeway and Tuvok arrived. They joined him at the bio-bed where the Ocampan sat, still a little disoriented. The Doctor hovered nearby.

"What do you remember?" asked Tuvok.

"I was in airponics," Past Kes said, "and then I felt dizzy, and then… I was watching myself."

"Yourself?" the Doctor asked.

He was about to press for details, when Janeway looked over at him and said, "Computer, deactivate EMH." The Doctor vanished, consternation written on his face. Janeway made a mental note to remove any trace of this conversation from the EMH's memory.

Past Kes looked puzzled. Janeway turned to her and said, "What I'm about to tell you stays between the four of us. Understood?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Something terrible has happened, or more precisely, will happen," Janeway said. "We're going to need your help to prevent it from happening again."

Past Kes looked innocently at Janeway, wondering what all this was about.

***

The Present, 2376.

Ready Room

"It took exhaustive research - sifting through teraquads of data, separating fact from rumor, but eventually, I arrived at the truth."

"Kathryn?"

Chakotay took several steps toward her, his anxiety level off the scale. He had no memory of any possible omission to which her accusation might refer.

Janeway stood glaring at him for several seconds more and then turned to enter a few commands into the replicator. A small cake with a single lit candle materialized. Picking it up, she turned back to face Chakotay with a wide grin on her face. "Happy birthday," Janeway said as she leaned over the railing to give him a kiss and hand him the cake.

Relief washed over Chakotay's face as he kissed her back and said, "Thank you."

Janeway teased, "So… it's not long before you hit the big five-oh."

"You got me pretty good," he said with a laugh. "I'll need to come up with an even better payback." He thought for a moment and then asked, "You haven't told the rest of the crew about your 'discovery,' have you?'"

"Don't worry, old man," she answered, making a zipping gesture in front of her mouth. "My lips are sealed."

Chakotay stood there, just eyeing the cake, which prompted Janeway to ask, "Well? You're supposed to blow out the candle."

He smirked and said, "Actually, that's not a custom among my people."

"Humor me," Janeway teased back.

Before Chakotay could say another word, Tuvok's voice broke in over the com. "Captain to the bridge."

Janeway made a wry face at having had their personal moment interrupted, and started down the steps from the upper level of the ready room. Chakotay was still holding the cake as she walked past him. She turned and looked at him expectantly.

He blew out the candle and set the cake down on Janeway's desk. With a sheepish grin, he said, "It was a fire hazard."

A brilliant smile lit up her face. They both laughed and left the ready room. Janeway smirked at him as they came up the stairs to the bridge.

***

"Report!" Janeway said as she and Chakotay reached the middle of the command deck.

"We're receiving a distress call - a small vessel on an intercept course," Kim answered.

"Lifesigns?"

"One," Kim responded. He looked up from his console in surprise. "It's Ocampan."

Janeway and Chakotay exchanged a knowing look. "I'd almost forgotten," she said quietly.

The Captain looked over her shoulder to catch Tuvok's eye. He stepped away from his station toward the turbolift and gave her an almost imperceptible nod. All three of them knew that this day had been inevitable.

Tuvok's console beeped. He took his station again and said, "We're being hailed."

"Red Alert. Raise shields," said Janeway, ready for this encounter.

As the ship went to Red Alert, a puzzled Tom Paris turned back and asked, "Captain?"

Janeway waved him off and raised her voice to engage the com as she walked back to sit in her command chair.

"All hands, this is the bridge. Begin emergency evacuation of Deck 11."

***

In engineering, Torres and Seven of Nine were working together at a console trying to determine why the ship had just gone to Red Alert when Janeway's voice came over the com.

"Repeat: all hands, evacuate Deck 11."

Torres still didn't have enough data to satisfy her, but trusted the Captain's judgment. She turned to her staff and said, "You heard her. Get moving. Now!"

Torres urged the stragglers through the doors as she quickly followed.

***

On the Bridge, Janeway turned back to Tuvok and ordered, "Open a channel."

Tuvok nodded and activated the viewscreen, which showed the elderly, weathered Kes he knew would be there.

"Kes," Janeway said, prepared for what she knew was coming.

"Captain Janeway, I need your help", said Kes in a ragged voice. "Will you please give me permission to come aboard?"

"Of course." She eyed the Ocampan cautiously. "What's happened?"

"Please, let me come aboard," Kes said, and then cut the link.

"Her ship is accelerating," said Tuvok, reading the data on his console. "It's on a collision course."

"Five seconds to impact," called out Paris.

"Tuvok," said Janeway. The Vulcan entered several commands into his console.

"Lock on a tractor beam. Evasive maneu…" Chakotay's orders were cut off by a sharp jolt as Kes' ship collided with _Voyager's_ shields.

Janeway looked at Tuvok. "The shields are holding," he reported. "Her ship is intact."

"Captain, a transporter was activated just before impact," Kim said. He checked his console again and said, "She's beamed aboard through our shields."

***

On Deck 11, Kes walked slowly down the corridor, intent on her destination, her face cold and angry as she used her psychokinetic abilities to cripple _Voyager's_ systems. Lights flickered from the damage as the bulkheads behind her rippled and distorted, blowing out in showers of sparks.

***

_Voyager_ continued to tremble amid the flashing lights and blaring alarms of Red Alert as the junior officers on the bridge crew scrambled to determine what was happening.

Kim reported the information off his console. "I'm reading bulkhead ruptures deck 11, section 17. He paused a moment, and then added, "18… 19…"

Paris turned to the Captain, surprise written on his face. "How did you know?"

Janeway ignored him. She stood and walked over to Chakotay, saying quietly, "Ready?" He nodded. She turned back to get Tuvok's attention, and he nodded as well, understanding exactly what she meant by the glance. He punched a few commands into his console.

"Shut down the warp core," said Janeway to Paris. "You have the bridge." She and Chakotay headed for the turbolift, where Tuvok was already holding the doors open for them.

***

Kes moved down the corridor toward engineering, unhampered by security guards or forcefields. She walked through the doors into an empty room. She hesitated, not having expected this, and then cautiously moved toward the warp core.

As she slowly approached the railing, the core slowed and darkened, its power dropping to a low ebb. She stared at it in confusion for a moment, and turned to see if there might be a crew member anywhere in the department. A voice startled her. Future Kes turned back to the core, and saw a holographic image of her past self, standing several feet away to her right.

"Remember me? The innocent 'child' you're here to save?" Past Kes paused a moment to allow her words to sink in and then continued. "You blame Captain Janeway, but the choice was yours. You made the decision to leave Ocampa, and you made the decision to leave _Voyager_."

The hologram took a few steps forward and rested her hand on the railing surrounding the darkened warp core. Kes tensed.

Past Kes began to speak again. "If you're watching me now, you've come back to take revenge on the people who cared about you." The tone of hologram's voice intensified. "That's not who you are, and that's not who I am. Don't do this. Find another way home."

Kes took this in silently. She had been caught completely by surprise, and was so absorbed in what the hologram was saying that she didn't hear the doors behind her hiss open.

"Captain Janeway will help you, if you give her a chance," Past Kes said gently. The hologram took another step towards Kes, who backed up sharply, frightened.

"Try to remember who you were." Past Kes paused for a moment, her face showing heartfelt emotion, and then urged, "Try to remember me."

The holorecording vanished. Kes stood looking at the place where it had been for a long, quiet moment.

"Don't you remember?"

Kes was startled by the sound of the Captain's voice and turned to see Janeway, Chakotay, and Tuvok standing near the doors, armed with phasers. She stared at them, confused.

"You made that holorecording because you didn't want this to happen again."

Kes glanced at the darkened core and said, "I don't understand."

Janeway took a few steps toward Kes. "Once before, you traveled five and a half years back in time. You wanted to take that woman with you, and you were willing to hand the rest of us over to the Vidiians to do it."

Kes' mind was reeling. She was confused, unsure what to do.

"It didn't work," continued Janeway. "You forced me to kill you, Kes. If you go back now, it'll all happen again."

Kes was distraught. Janeway's words were starting to get through to her, but she was still on edge. Janeway handed her phaser to Tuvok, and took a careful step toward Kes. Chakotay handed over his as well, and came up to stand behind Janeway. Kes turned and walked a short distance away from them, on the verge of tears.

"Just before this terrible thing happened, you told me you had nowhere to go. That's not true," Janeway said. "Stay here… with us."

Kes struggled with her emotions and finally said, "I can't. I don't belong here." She turned back to face Janeway and Chakotay. "I need to be with my own people."

"You told the Captain you had the ability to get home, but you were afraid the Ocampans wouldn't accept you," said Chakotay. "Why?"

Kes looked at Chakotay for a long moment. Her face revealed an inner struggle, and then she seemed to recall something. Kes's eyes grew clear, and she looked at Janeway and said, "I remember."

"What? What do you remember?" asked Janeway, taking a few steps toward Kes.

"The holo-recording," said Kes. "I remember making it. You asked me to help you, to help myself." She laughed quietly, and her face brightened for a moment as she said, "You wanted me to remember who I was." Kes' face broke. She looked down and began to weep as she recalled difficult memories. Janeway moved to her and gently touched her arm.

"These last years were so filled with confusion… anger." She looked up at Janeway. "I buried the memory. I'd almost forgotten."

"Does it really matter which Kes goes home?" Janeway asked softly.

Kes looked at her, struggling to remember, and finally saw the woman standing before her as her Captain once again. Janeway and Chakotay pulled Kes into their embrace.

***

In transporter room 2 a short time later, Kes stood next to the platform, talking with Neelix, and more at peace than she had been in a very long time. Tuvok stood at the console, waiting for the signal to send Kes back to her ship. Janeway and Chakotay stood quietly side by side, watching from a short distance away.

Neelix handed Kes a small, wrapped bundle. "A few snacks for the journey home," he said. "You still like leola root?"

Kes nodded and said, "Thank you." She smiled warmly, happy to see Neelix again despite the awkwardness of the reunion.

Neelix didn't say another word. He only stood and stared at Kes, knowing that he was seeing her for the last time.

Kes stared back, and finally asked, "What?"

"Just looking."

"See anyone you know?" she asked lightly.

"Only you."

At hearing those words, Kes smiled, letting out the breath she had been holding. She stepped up onto the transporter platform and turned to face everyone.

Janeway stepped forward to stand close to Neelix and said, "Goodbye, Kes," in an emotion-laden voice.

"Captain," said Kes with a smile.

Janeway turned slightly and nodded to Tuvok, who activated the transporter. As she dematerialized, Kes looked over at Neelix for the final time. A saddened Neelix stared at the empty transporter platform for a few moments longer, his golden eyes bright with unshed tears. He turned and left the transporter room. Chakotay glanced at Tuvok over his shoulder, and the Vulcan nodded his understanding as he also departed.

Janeway stood rooted to the deck, her body held stiffly, eyes squeezed tightly shut. Her lips trembled as she fought for emotional control. Chakotay moved to her.

"What should we tell the others?"

Janeway opened her eyes and stared desolately at the empty platform. "A friend got lost," she said, her heart breaking. "We helped her find her way."

Chakotay gathered her into his arms. As he held his grieving beloved close to his heart, his mind traveled back over the intervening years to the first time he had held his Kathryn - in a cargo bay, standing between Kes past and future. _So many changes_, he thought, _for all of us_. He closed his eyes and asked his Spirits to watch over the tiny vessel speeding rapidly away from _Voyager, _into the vastness of space on its lonely journey home.

***


End file.
